travellers, possess extensive stores of information peculiarly our own and original descriptions of all these will enrich the present work, in addition to translations and transcripts of the characteristics of all the genera and species hitherto published in other works.

This second volume commences with the extensive second subclass Calyciflòræ, and describes thirty-nine natural orders included in this subclass; and the remainder belonging to it will form the initial part of the third volume. The vast order Leguminòsæ occupies 385 pages, and supplies descriptions of a comparatively endless number of species of the pretty plants of this really ornamental and very interesting natural order. The orders Amygdàleæ, Rosàceæ, Pomàceæ, Onagràriæ, Lythràriæ, Melastomàceæ, and Myrtàceæ, as part of the thirty-nine, all and each of which contain plants so very beautiful, fall into this second volume.

Rennie, James, M.A., Professor of Zoology, King's College, London: Alphabet of Botany for the Use of Beginners. 1832 [dated 1833]. Small 8vo, 123 pages, and many

cuts. London. 2s. 6d.

Explains and illustrates the technical terms and elements of botany, and may satisfy those whom a superficial knowledge of the science will content. Those who desire an intimate and extended knowledge of it will find no book extant so fit to lead the way to it as Lindley's Introduction to Botany, noticed in our last Number. (Vol. V. p. 706.).

Phillips, Sir Richard: An Essay on the Physico-Astronomical Causes of the Geological Changes on the Earth's Surface, and of the Terrestrial Temperature; with Notes. Republished, with a Preface, by Wm. Devonshire Saull, F.G.S. A.S. and R.A.S. (Geological Museum, Aldersgate Street.) 8vo, 80 pages, 1832. Sherwood and Co.

We hope to supply a notice of this essay in a future Number.

ART. II. Literary Notice.

A POPULAR Introduction to the Study of Geology, by Mr. G. Mantell, with numerous plates, is in the press, and will shortly be published.

67

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS.

A WHITE Donkey. In the village of Hampton Wick, a poor man is possessed of a young female donkey, perfectly white, without spot or shade of any kind: it is a lively sportive animal, now about six weeks old. The only peculiarity observable in its formation is a remarkably small and narrow mouth, more like the mouth of a sheep than of an ass: its coat, of which much care is taken, is full and soft. The queen lately sent for it to Windsor, and was much pleased with the little creature. It is likely to prove a valuable acquisition to its poor master, who, in addition to the donkey, is blessed with a wife and nine small children. (Literary Gazette, June 2. 1832.)

Monstrosity in a Calf. A cow belonging to a small farmer, near Macclesfield, recently produced a calf with two heads, five legs, and two tails, and double back: it lived about two hours. (Birmingham Journal, June 9. 1832.)

A Dog that reasoned Riding to be preferable to Walking. Sir, I was lately a witness to a most striking instance of canine sagacity. Whilst an omnibus was waiting to receive passengers at the Blue Coat Boy, April 28. 1832, a dog, of the setter breed, forced his way into the omnibus, much against the consent of the conductor and passengers, as the dog did not belong to either, and who used every means to entice him out, which he constantly resisted, in the most surly manner, so much so that they were in danger of being bitten, if they endeavoured to force him. These attempts were repeated each time the omnibus stopped, until they arrived at the Eagle, in the City Road, when the door was opened, and he then made his exit, apparently as much at home there as if he had purposely taken a ride to the spot. This instance is in accordance with Mr. Blaine's ideas of the instinct of dogs, in his Treatise on Canine Pathology, new edition, p. 37, 38. As you may have noticed, he says, "Innumerable actions are daily performed by them; all of which are totally unconnected with these great instinctive principles. It must be, therefore, self-evident, that all such action must be extra-instinctive, and the result of rational operations of the brute mind."I am, Sir, &c. Cattus.

About fourteen years ago, a strong but simple piece of

framework, probably designed for placing parcels upon, stood beside the kerb-stone, opposite one side of the Elephant and Castle Inn, in fact, between the pavement and the road. On the inner face of one of the upright posts of this framework there was fastened a sheet of copper, exceeding in size an octavo page. On this were inscribed in good set terms," an elegy to one "Ralph," a raven of celebrity, who in the days of his life had been a distinguished member of the Elephant and Castle establishment. A stander-by, I remember, in reply to my enquiries, told me several instances of Ralph's sagacity, and, among the rest, that from Ralph's intimacy with the coach-drivers, who were in habitual ply to and from that inn, he would, and this not rarely, take short jaunts out on the coach top with them, until he met some other coach, whose driver he also knew, passing in a homeward direction, when Ralph would change coaches, and return. J. D.

The Instinctive Properties of Animals never completely obliterated by Domestication. - Sir, The following is an instance, additional to others already on record, tending to prove that the natural disposition even of our most domesticated animals, however subdued by long habit and constant intercourse, will evince itself at times under the most unaccountable circumstances.

A friend of mine, who keeps a number of gold and silver pheasants, kept in the same yard with his breeding birds a thorough-bred pointer, which ran among them for two years loose, both day and night, without ever having ruffled a feather; yet, during one night last month, he killed every bird in the yard (upwards of 30); and, what is more singular, did not eat one, but carried each to a distance, some to above a quarter of a mile; burying them in separate places, which was only discovered by the fresh turned earth and loose feathers. I am, Sir, yours, &c.-J. Warwick. Surrey

Zoological Gardens, March 15. 1832.

The elegant Cowper has prettily adverted to the persistency of instinctive emotions, in his poems of "The Faithful Bird" and "On a Spaniel, called Beau, killing a young Bird," and in "Beau's reply." — J. D.

The Robin's Confidence in Man.- Sir, Poets from time immemorial have sung the praise of the robin redbreast, alike "the friend of man, and sacred to his household gods." But still, as prose matters of fact are often acceptable corroborations of poetical theories, I shall make no apology for offering the following instance for insertion in some spare corner of your interesting Magazine. Early in March, in the library of a gentleman's house, in one of our northern

counties, a mysterious sprinkling of dried leaves had been frequently seen on some of the book shelves; and these accumulations, though repeatedly swept away, had as repeatedly been renewed. Conjecture was on the alert, but no adequate or rational cause could be assigned, until, on or about the 15th or 16th of the above month, the mystery was thus satisfactorily solved. The library, it should be observed, as well as the dining-room, opens upon a lawn, under cover of a veranda projecting over, and common to, both. As the latter was not frequented by the family before the usual luncheon hour, at one o'clock, whenever the windows were open, as they were on the day mentioned, any intruder from the lawn and shrubbery might obviously have remained unmolested, from the moment the housemaid quitted the room in the morning, till the cloth was laid about noon, at which hour the servant observed in the hollow festoon of one of the window curtains, a large collection of leaves, evidently placed as part and parcel of a nest, the rapid and busy morning's work of a couple of robins, who were seen hovering near with "eye askance," or escaping through the window when the door was opened: and which, if left to themselves, were thus prepared to rear their brood in the immediate presence of the daily assembling family party. Every sympathising reader of your Magazine will doubtless conclude that the happy pair were allowed to remain, and that their progeny were destined to be reared in the mantling folds of so enviable a retreat. Alas, poor robins! the lady of the house, excellent and worthy in all respects, the single point excepted, of preferring the unsoiled damask of her curtains to a nest of redbreasts, gave orders for the removal of so foul an affront on the decorum of her furniture; and, notwithstanding the loud lament of a neighbouring naturalist, ejected the fond and familiar pair, whose bridal couch of withered leaves was once more scattered before the winds, to become the prize of other and more fortunate tenants of the air.-E. S., F.L.S. March 30. 1832.

This interesting communication supplies another instance to Mr. Bree's list of unusual situations chosen by birds for their nests, p. 32-36; and naturally arranges itself beside that which he relates of the robin, p. 35.-J. D.

J.D.

Is the Robin known to possess Sympathy for other Birds, as ascribed to it in this paragraph? A remarkable instance of the known kindness of the robin is to be seen at the Old Palace bowling-green. It appears the landlord took a thrush's nest with four young ones, and put them in a cage in the garden, where they are constantly fed by the two old

birds and a robin. (Kentish Gazette, as quoted into the Hereford Journal, May 9. 1832.) [See p. 83.]

The Alarm-note of Birds universally understood by them.In Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary, under the article "Song of Birds," there is the following remark: -“ Regarding the note of alarm which birds utter on the approach of their natural enemies, whether a hawk, an owl, or a cat, we consider it to be a general language, perfectly understood by all small birds, though each species has a note peculiar to itself." I was, last April, very much pleased at witnessing an illustration of the truth of this opinion. I found a nest of young throstles at the root of a hazel; and although they could scarcely fly, yet, as they were near a footpath, and the next day was Sunday, when many idle and mischievous lads would be rambling about, I thought they would be safer out of their nest than in it; and as I knew that, when so far fledged, if they were once disturbed they would not continue in the nest, I took one out, and made it cry out, and then put it back again, but in one minute not only it but its three companions had disappeared in the long dry grass which was round about. On hearing the cry of their young one, the parent birds set up such a shriek of alarm as brought all the birds in the wood to see what was the matter. I noticed the blackbird, the chaffinch, the titlark, the redbreast, the oxeye [greater titmouse], the blue and marsh titmouse, and the wren, all uttering their cries of alarm and apprehension: even the golden-crested wren, which usually seems to care for nothing, was as forward and as persevering as any of them in expressing its fear on this occasion; indeed, the only bird which seemed indifferent to all these manifestations of alarm was the creeper, which continued its anxious and incessant search for food as it flitted from one tree to another, examining them from root to branch, without ever seeming to understand or care for what seemed to have so much frightened all the others. T. G. Clitheroe, Lancashire.

June 30. 1832.

A late Brood of young Martins. - Sir, On the 14th of October last, as I was passing by a house near the extremity of this village, I was rather surprised at hearing what I took to be the chuckling twit of young martins (Hirúndo úrbica); and, on looking up, I perceived one of their nests under the eaves of the house. I say I was surprised at what I heard; because the martins had entirely disappeared from my view some time before, nor had I been able to see even a single one for some days previously. The person of the house, whose attention was attracted by my standing to gaze at the